Mothers in Arts Residency

MA Residency

Mothers in Arts Residency (MA Residency) will be a studio space
combined with a communal nursery. The Residency is specialized in
supporting emerging women artists, who are also mothers. Mothers in Arts
is free of charge; the artists agree on take turns to work and look
after each others children around an organized work schedule.

MA Residency provides studio space for 3 artists and a communal
nursery for their children. Accommodation is not provided. The residency
invites emerging woman artists to apply whose children are between 3
months an 24 months old. The Residency gives new mothers an opportunity
to continue their artistic development.

The trial Residency takes place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands between
March 2017 and May 2017, and will be finished with an exhibition in
June 2017.

Background

Mothers in Arts is a small initiative founded by Csilla Klenyanszki, who lives and works in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The idea of this project comes from my own experiences, which are
based on the first year of motherhood, the social and the daycare
situation in the Netherlands & my particular situation as an
emigrant artist, without a family network.

The inspiration for this project comes from a “self-directed,
open-source artist in residency”, called ARIM. An Artist in Residency in
Motherhood (http://www.artistresidencyinmotherhood.com/)
was founded by Lenka Clyton and wants to “empower and inspire artists
who are also mothers”. I am currently doing a project, called “Pillars of home” during ARIM.

The Residency begins as a small project, because it is supported from
the Stipendium Program for Emerging Artist (Werkbijdrage Jong Talent),
awarded by the Mondriaan Foundation, based in the Netherlands. This is
also the reason, that the Residency will be a trial residency first as
the financial resources are limited.

The studio invites emerging women artists to work in the studio when
their child is between 3 months to 2 years old. The Residency is
designed around the childcare policies of the Netherlands: 3 months is
the given maternity leave and 2 years is the minimum age, when children
are provided with 2 days a week subsidized daycare. This “in between”
period is crucial for an artist-parent: through the strict schedule and
the constant attention which a baby requires, critical practice becomes
limited.

The trial residency takes place between March – May 2017 and will be
finished with an exhibition in June 2017. The trial residency is really
important to obtain further funding, which would make possible
extending the Residency and making it permanent.

The project exists with the hope that it can help artists to combine
their artistic practice with early parenthood. Through the project I
wish to put forward a discussion about a problem that affects many
emerging artist women when they become parents. Even though, many
artists have children, parenthood remains stigmatized in the art world.
Therefore, besides the physical and mental challenges of childbearing –
which are consuming enough – an added feeling of isolation can be felt
by many mothers.

This situation isn’t exclusive for artists of course, it is a common
dilemma for most working mothers. After becoming a parent maintaining a
professional life becomes difficult.

The project is geared to mother artists and by drawing attention to
this hidden segment of the art world I want to stimulate mothers in
general. By showing and promoting their existence, I hope that the
professional and also the general public realizes and confirms their
importance as a matter of public health.